Gable top container



Sept. 7, 1965 l. WILCOX GABLE TOP CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May25, 1964 FIG.2

FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

ISAAC L. WILOOX FlG.l

lazmwm ATTORNEY.

Sept. 7, 19 65 I. L. w|| cox 3,204,850

GABLE TOP CONTAINER Filed May 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ISAACL. WILGOX ATTORNEY.

3,204,850 GABLE TOP CONTAINER Isaac L. Wilcox, Fulton, N.Y., assignor,by mesne assignments, to Phiiiips Petroleum Company, a corporation ofDelaware Filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 369,828 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-17)This invention has to do with a gable top container formed of paperboardor the like and coated with thermoplastic material to make the containerliquid-proof. The container is particularly suited for the packaging ofliquid food products, such as milk.

The invention has an object a gable top container wherein the ridgepanel surmounting one of the roof panels is readily separable from thecontiguous ridge panels sunnounting the end closure panels, and theseparation of said contiguous ridge panels from the ridge formation topermit said front roof panel to be moved outwardly to form a pouringspout for dispensing the contents from the container.

The invention has as a further object a gable top closure structurewherein the edge surface of the expanded pouring spout, over which thecontents of the container is poured, is in sterile condition when thecon tainer is opened.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth .and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding part in allthe views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the container is formed.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 33, FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the container showing the top closurepanels partially folded toward closed position.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the container top with the taperemoved and the ridge panels of the pouring spout separated and detachedfrom the remainder of the ridge structure.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of the top portion of the containershowing the pouring spout in expanded form.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the blank is formed with vertically extendingscore lines 10, 11, 12, and 13. These score lines are intersected by ahorizontally disposed score line 14 spaced downwardly from the top edgeof the blank a substantial distance, and a second horizontally extendingscore line 15 spaced downwardly a short distance from the top edge ofthe blank.

The vertically extending score lines 10, 11, 12, 13 and horizontallyextending score line 14, define side wall panels 16, 17, 18, .19 and 20.The panels 17 and 19 are referred to as end wall panels, the panel 18 afront wall panel, and the panels 16 and 20, in the formed container,have their free edges over-lapped and bonded together to form a sidewall seam, and these joined panels form the rear wall panel of thecontainer.

The area above the front wall panel 18 is formed with converging scorelines 21, 22, extending upwardly from the intersection of the scorelines 11, 12, with the score line 14, and merging at the top edge of theblank. There is a vertically extending score line 23 positioned medialof the score lines 11, 12, and extending upwardly from the score line 14to the intersection of scores 21, 22.

United States Patent 0 3,Z4,85d Patented Sept. 7, 1965 ice These scorelines 21, 22, 23, define four triangular areas 25, 26, 27 and 28, theseareas constituting the front roof panel which is surmounted by a ridgepanel 30, provided by the horizontally extending score line 15.

The score line 14 defines rectangular areas 31, 32, above the panels 16and 20, respectively. These areas, in the formed container, constitutethe rear roof closure panel. The score line defines section 33, 34,which, in the formed container, constitutes a ridge panel surrnountingthe rear roof panel, as will be apparent.

The area above the end wall panel 19, as defined by the score line 14and the upper portions of the score lines 12, 13, is also provided withconverging score lines 37, 38, the upper ends of which intersect on thecore line 15 medial of the score lines 12 and 13. There is a short scoreline extending upwardly from the intersection of the score lines 37, 38,to the upper edge of the blank. The score lines 12, 13, 14, 15, 37, 38,define triangular shaped areas 43, 44 and 45, which form an end closurepanel, which is surmounted by a ridge panel consisting of the sections47, 48. There is a vertically disposed score line extending upwardlyfrom the score line 37 to the top edge of the blank, and the section 45is further provided with a score line 51 extending upwardly from theintersection of the score lines 14, 37, in angular relation to the scoreline 12.

The area of the blank above the end wall panel 17 is scored in a similarmanner to that just described. 52, 53, indicate the converging scorelines comparable to the .score lines 37, 38. The score line 54 iscomparable to the score line 50, and the score line 55 is comparable tothe score line 51. Accordingly, the score lines 10, 11, 14, 52, 53,define triangular shaped areas 60, 61, 62, comparable to the areas 43,44, and 45, and form the opposite end closure panel which i surmountedby a ridge panel consisting of the sections 63, 64, above the score line15.

The blank is folded on the score lines 10, 11, 12, 13, about a mandrel,and the side wall seam made to secure together the free edges of thepanels 16, 20. A suit-able bottom closure 67 is bonded to the tubularformation. A strip of sheet material is positioned on the top edge ofthe ridge panel 30 surmounting the front roof panel. This strip isfolded to provide an outer portion 70 overlying the outer su-rflace ofthe ridge panel 30. The lower edge of the outer portion 70 terminates inupward spaced relation from the lower edge of the ridge panel 30that is,from the score line 15.

The inner portion 71 of the strip, overlying the inner surface of theridge panel 30, extends downwardly a distance below the score line 15,see FIGURES 3 and 4. The inner surface of the strip, contacting theinner .and outer surfaces of the ridge panel 30, is non-sealablethereto. For example, the strip may be formed of aluminum foil, and thesurface of the foil strip contacting the ridge panel 30 may be providedwith a release coating to prevent the strip from heat scaling to theridge panel 30.

The foil strip may be initially positioned on the ridge panel 30 of theblank shown in FIGURE 2 prior to converting the blank into the tubularcontainer form, or the foil strip may be applied to the ridge panel 30after the container is formed, and before the end closure panels areinfolded to closed position.

The opposite side of the strip is heat sealable to the contiguous ridgepanel sections 48, 64. This scaling is effected and the ridge panels 33,34, are sealed to the ridge panels 47, 48, 64, 63, by the application ofheat and pressure. The thermoplastic coating on the inner and outersurfaces of the container serving to make this permanent adhesive bond.The completed closed and sealed container is illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Preferably, the seal barrier strip terminates in spaced relation to theends of the panel 30. This permits a small area, as indicated at 80,FIGURE 3, between the contacting surfaces of the ridge panel 30 and thecontiguous ridge panels 64, 48, to be permanently bonded together.However, it will be understood that the remainder of the inner surfaceof the ridge panel 30 is not bonded to those contiguous ridge panelssurmounting the end closure panels.

After the container is closed and sealed, a strip of tape 85 ispositioned over the outer portion 70 of the seal barrier strip and issealed thereto, and also to the area of the ridge panel 30 exposed belowthe lower edge of the outer portion 70 of the strip, and to the exposedend portions 87 of the outer surface of the ridge panel 30. The tape 85is of somewhat greater length than the ridge panel 30, so that there arefree finger grip portions 89 extending beyond the ends of the ridge, asillustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. These tabs 89 serve for theconvenient grasping of the tape so that it may be peeled from thecontainer. Inasmuch as the tape is sealed to the outer portion 70 of theseal barrier strip, that outer portion 70 becomes severed from thestrip, as illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. Also, as the tape ispeeled from the container ridge, it removes the outer layer of fibersfrom the outer surface of the ridge panel 30. Because the end portions87 of the ridge panel 1 are not overlaid by the seal barrier strip, thetape becomes permanently heat sealed thereto, with the result that whenthe tape is peeled from the container, the outer layer of fibersthroughout the entire height of the areas 87 are removed, and thisremoval is continuous along underneath the outer portion 70 of the sealbarrier strip which, of course, is adhered to and removed with the tape.

Due to the fact that the inner portion 71 of the seal barrier strip isnot sealed to the inner surface of the ridge panel 30, the ridge panelis free upon removal of the tape together with the outer portion 70 ofthe strip. However, the inner portion 71 of the strip is heat sealed tothe contiguous ridge panels 48, 64, and remains attached to thosepanels, see FIGURES 5 and 6.

After the tape and the outer portion 70 of the strip is removed from thecontainer, the side edges of the front roof panel are pressed downwardlyand inwardly. This effects a separation of the ridge panels 48, 64, fromthe ridge panels 47, 63, as shown in FIGURE 5. During this action, thefront roof panel, comprising the areas 25, 26, 27, 28, is bowedoutwardly. This action is assisted by the score lines 50, 54, which actas hinge pivots between the areas 90, 91, of the ridge panels 48, 64,and the areas thereof extending from the score lines 50, 54, to thescore lines 11 and 12.

With the front roof panel bowed outwardly in this manner, as shown inFIGURE 5, only a slight inward pressure is necessary on the side edgesof the front panel 4 to move the same to eifect full extension of thepouring spout, as shown in FIGURE 6.

What I claim is:

1. A gable top container formed of paperboard or the like, comprising atubular body rectangular in cross section and having four side wallpanels, said body having a bottom closure aflixed thereto, front andrear roof closure panels extending upwardly from opposite side wallpanels, and said roof panels being inclined toward each other, endclosure panels extending upwardly from the opposite pair of side wallpanels intermediate said inclined roof panels and being inclined towardeach other, a ridge panel surmounting each of said roof panels and endclosure panels, the ridge panels surmounting said end closure panelsbeing positioned intermediate the ridge panels surmounting said frontand rear roof panels, all of said ridge panels forming a laminatedridge, a strip of sheet material positioned on the top edge of the ridgepanel surmounting said front roof panel, said strip being folded toprovide an outer portion overlying the outer surface of the said ridgepanel and an inner portion extending between the said ridge panel andthe contiguous ridge panels surmounting said end closure panels, saidstrip being non-scalable to the said ridge panel surmounting said frontroof panel, the inner portion of said strip being heat-sealed to thesaid contiguous ridge panels, a tape overlying the outer portion of saidstrip and being heat-sealed thereto and to the contiguous portion of thesaid ridge panel below said strip, the ridge panels surmounting said endclosure panels being sealed together and to the ridge panel surmountingsaid rear roof panel.

2. A gable top container as defined in claim 1, wherein the ends of saidstrip positioned on the ridge panel surmounting said front panelterminate in spaced relation to the ends of the said ridge panel.

3. A gable top container as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower edgeof said outer portion of said strip is spaced upwardly from the loweredge of said ridge panel.

4. A' gable top container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the saidstrip is formed of metal foil, the inner surface of said strip beingprovided with a coating nonsealable to the said ridge panel surmountingsaid front roof panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,3 02,083 11/42Wilcox 229--7 2,362,862 11/ 44 Sidebotham 22917 X 2,695,745 11/54 Dixon229-47 3,140,815 7/64 Majesky 22966 FOREIGN PATENTS 225,010 10/59Australia.

1. A GABLE TOP CONTAINER FORMED OF PAPERBOARD OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING ATUBULAR BODY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND HAVING FOUR SIDE WALLPANELS, SAID BODY HAVING A BOTTON CLOSURE AFFIXED THERETO, FRONT ANDREAR ROOF CLOSURE PANELS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE SIDE WALLPANELS, AND SAID ROOF PANELS BEING INCLINED TOWARD EACH OTHER, ENDCLOSURE PANELS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE OPPOSITE PAIR OF SIDE WALLPANELS INTERMEDIATE SAID INCLINED ROOF PANELS AND BEING INCLINED TOWARDEACH OTHER, A RIDGE PANEL SURMOUNTING EACH OF SAID ROOF PANELS AND ENDCLOSURE PANELS, THE RIDGE PANELS SURMOUNTING SAID END CLOSURE PANELSBEING POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE THE RIDGE PANELS SURMOUNTING SAID FRONTAND REAR ROOF PANELS, ALL OF SAID RIDGE PANELS FORMING A LAMINATEDRIDGE, A STRIP OF SHEET MATERIAL POSITIONED ON THE TOP EDGE OF THE RIDGEPANEL SURMOUNTING SAID FRONT ROOF PANEL, SAID STRIP BEING